Everything is Different Now
by parksyblu91
Summary: How would the Morganville stories be different had Claire been a completely different character? Sorry for the frankly abismal summary, this is my first fanfic, don't judge me :'  Fan of Morganville, never really liked the character of Claire so...enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

My roommate Claire and I were the only early graduates starting at Texas Prairie University this year and it was lucky that we got along because pretty much everyone else wanted nothing to do with us. We got along despite the fact that we were complete opposites. Claire was small, with mousy brown hair and thin in the extreme. I was medium height with bold red brown hair and a curvy size six. She was quiet and meek whereas I was loud and sometimes aggressive. So when I came back from a long day of classes to see Monica Morrell and her posse of skanky Monikette's ragging on Claire yet again something inside me snapped and I saw red.

I ran up the stairs two at a time and yanked one of Monica's friends, Jennifer, by the hair and pretty much threw her aside. Monica whirled on me with a sly grin curving her glossy pink lips. "Well well, if it's not the other freak".

"Look who's talking honey" I shot back, all too aware that Gina's hand was still fastened around Claire's throat. "With your fake hair, fake nose, fake lips and fake boobs you're well on the way to becoming the Jackie Stallone of Texas Prairie".

Monica stepped towards me but I didn't back away. I had been taught never to show fear to your enemy, it only made them stronger. "I'm not exactly sure what that's supposed to mean but I'm pretty sure it was something bitchy".

"Wow Monica. For once you're right, it was something bitchy. Colour me impressed that you can tell when someone's talking down to you".

"Nobody talks down to me" she snarled.

I pretended to think for a minute, raking a hand through my long curls. "Whoops. Looks like I just did".

Jennifer was back on her feet by this point and standing behind Monica. I couldn't quite tell whether she was flanking her or planned on using her as a human shield should I reach for her again. These bitches were all the same; throw even their closest friends under the bus to save their own bottled tan skin.

"Screw this bitch" Gina hissed and before I could realise what she was doing she spun Claire around and threw her down the stairs.

I stood frozen, watching my friend roll and bounce down the hard concrete steps until she came to a stop with a sickening thud and crunch at the bottom. She didn't move, didn't make a sound. Just lay there in a motionless heap.

"CLAIRE!" I screamed, running down the stairs and falling to my knees next to her. I pressed my fingers to her neck and almost cried out in relief when I found a pulse.

Monica, Gina and Jennifer walked calmly to where we were and looked down at us. Well Gina and Monica did, Jennifer seemed to want to look anywhere but at Claire and her skin had gone a sort of grey.

"You'll pay for this" I told them as I pulled my cell phone from the pocket of my jean shorts and dialled 911.

"I really doubt that. See you around loser" Gina grinned and the three of them wandered away as though they hadn't just tried to kill somebody. The only one who looked back was Jennifer and if I hadn't been so angry and upset and sick to stomach with worry I just might have noticed that she looked remorseful.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything after that happened in a bit of a blur. The ambulance arrived along with the cops who asked me a few quick questions while Claire was loaded onto a stretcher. She still hadn't woken up and I was scared out of my mind. We'd only known each other a couple of months but mostly due to the fact that we'd only had each other we'd become extremely close. I didn't want to lose her.

"I'm telling you, Gina pushed her down the stairs. Monica and Jennifer watched her do it". It was the fourth time I'd said the same thing but again it fell on deaf ears.

"Those three young ladies have an airtight alibi. You sure you're friend there's the only one who hit her head?"

"How did you know to check that they had an alibi before you even spoke to me?" I demanded and the cop's stance changed completely. He had seemed lazy and disinterested but now his gaze bore into mine with something akin to hatred.

"Why don't you accompany your friend there to the hospital? We won't be asking you anything further".

I followed the paramedics down the rest of the stairs and out of the building into the bright sunshine. If this were a movie or a novel it would be raining heavily, grey clouds the only thing visible in the sky or perhaps a fork of lightning and a roll of thunder would send a murder of crows into flight. Yes a murder would be fitting right about now.

Students who hadn't left for home yet or who were just finishing late classes stopped and stared but I didn't pay them much attention. Of course they were interested now that Claire was hurt but had even one of them ever tried to help Claire before? Monica wasn't shy about her abuse of Claire, doing it in front of anyone and everyone. She seemed to almost get a kick out of it.

I was about to climb into the ambulance when someone tapped on my shoulder. I whirled; keen to confront the person who thought it wise to start with me at this particular moment. When I saw who it was however the angry energy fled from me. I had been unfair in my thoughts before. There was one other person who did their best for Claire and that was Eve. A Goth girl who worked at the on campus coffee house.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

Before I could answer one of the paramedics, a stern looking woman with very short brown hair, said "Miss we need to go. Now".

"I'll take you to the hospital" Eve told me, "We'll be right behind them. You shouldn't do this on your own".

Once we were in Eve's car and pushing the speed limit on our way to the hospital she asked again "So what happened?"

"Gina" I spat, "She threw her down the stairs and I...I couldn't do anything. Well maybe I could and I didn't...It just all happened so fast and now she's..." I felt my eyes fill with tears and breathed deep, forcing them back. I didn't cry in front of people, hadn't since a very young age. My dad saw it as a sign of weakness and he hated weak people so I became a strong person for his approval. I'd have been lying if I'd said it hadn't benefited me in my life, it had. Like right now it was keeping me from becoming a blubbering fool.

"Leah" Eve's voice drew me back to the present.

"Sorry I was a million miles away. What did you say?"

"I told you that Claire's going to be fine and asked if you're ok?"

I nodded. "They didn't touch me". The rage flared hot once more and I slammed my palms down on the dashboard. "God why did they go for Claire? She never did anything to them!"

"That's what bullies and bitches do, they pick on the people they know won't fight back but honey don't take it out on the car".

I managed a small smile and clasped my hands in my lap as we pulled into the hospital parking lot. "Sorry".

She shrugged. "No harm no foul right baby?" she murmured to the car, stroking the dash where I'd taken out my anger.

We all but ran into A&E where we were told that Miss Danvers was undergoing some tests and that we'd just have to take a seat and wait

.

I glared at the receptionist until she looked up from her crossword puzzle to meet my stare. "With all due respect ma'am I just saw my best friend thrown down a concrete staircase by a psycho bitch. Sitting and waiting just isn't in my life plan right now".

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell you where the patient is. I wrote it down in my file right here though". She tapped her tangerine coloured nails on a thick file. "Now I'm going to get myself some coffee and when I get back you won't be here. Understand?"

I nodded once and she rose from her swivel chair, a slight smile on her lips. As soon as she had disappeared from view I reached over, flipped open the file and skimmed through until I found out that Claire was in Emergency Room four.

Eve and I made our way there and when I saw Claire lying on the hospital bed, looking so small and fragile and, well, dead, I couldn't help a solitary tear sliding down my cheek.

"Is she going to be ok?" I didn't ask any one nurse or doctor in particular, just threw the question out there like a line and bait, hoping for a bite.

"And you are?" a middle aged male asked in an irritated voice.

"Her roommate".

"Well I can only release information to relatives so if you don't mind..." he pointed to the door we had just entered through.

Why did things have to be so damn complicated and difficult when it came to hospitals?

"I'm her only family here. I need to know what's going on so I can call her mom and dad".

"We have already notified her parent's thank you very much".

"Yeah but did you speak in snobby medical practitioner or a language they could actually understand?"

Eve put her hand on my arm, a subtle warning to back off.

I ran my hand through my hair, feeling more agitated with each passing second.

"Look please, all I want to know is if she's going to be ok. Surely you can tell me that?"

He sighed and looked from Claire to me. "Honest answer? I don't know. She's taken a massive trauma to the head. She's stable for now, she's being airlifted to a specialist hospital closer to her home".

I felt like someone had punched me in the gut, knocking all the wind out of me. Airlifted away? Massive trauma? It was only then that I realised that even when she had been lying unconscious at the bottom of those stairs, even when she was taken away in the ambulance that I hadn't allowed myself to believe that something terrible had happened to her. But something terrible _had_ happened to her. She might never wake up again.

"When are they taking her?" Eve asked. I was glad she did. I wanted to know but I was at this moment incapable of speech.

"We're prepping her now. We'll be taking her down in ten minutes".

"Could I have a minute please? Just me and Claire?"

The doctor looked unsure but one of the two nurses who had been fussing around Claire whispered something in his ear, and then winked at me behind his back.

"Okay, two minutes".

"You want me to stay?" Eve asked but I shook my head. "Ok, I'll be right outside".

I walked slowly as though through treacle to Claire's side and took her small, cold hand in mine. The tears flowed freely and silently as I looked down at my friend. "I'm so sorry Claire bear" I told her, squeezing her hand tight, half hoping that the pressure would make her open those wide brown eyes. No luck. "Good news, looks like you're getting out of classes for a while". I wiped my cheeks with my spare hand. "You're right it's not funny. They're taking you in a helicopter to your mom and dad, to a hospital where they can treat your head better ok? I'm not sure you can hear me but I hope you can. I promise they'll pay Claire, all three of them. You just get better ok? How am I going to cope in this hot as Satan's ass town without my fellow underage partner in crime?"

The doctor came back in at that point and I was sure it was the tear tracks on my face that made his whole demeanour softer than it had been before. "We've got to take her now".

I took a deep breath. "See you soon Claire" I told her then walked out to join Eve.

I phone Claire's mom from in the car.

"Leah" she said, her voice not sounding at all like it had on the previous occasions when I had spoken to her.

"Hi Mrs Danvers, I just wanted to let you know they've just taken her to the helicopter. I...I'm so sorry for what happened".

"It's not your fault. It was just an accident. The police phoned, told me what happened. She tripped and fell down the stairs. It's lucky you were there they told me. No-one else was around. She could have lain there for hours and then Lord knows what position we'd all be in".

I felt sick. I couldn't believe they cops were actually covering this up. Sure Monica's dad was the mayor of Morganville but surely this was bigger than that? Gina had tried to kill Claire, or at the very least hadn't cared about how much damage she did. "I just wish there was more I could have done".

"I've got another call coming through Leah. I'll call you when Claire's here and we know more about what's going to happen ok?" Before I could respond she hung up. I didn't blame her, she probably wished she could curl up somewhere and not have to deal with this, not have to admit that it was actually happening.

"What am I going to do?" I muttered to myself.

"What do you mean?" Eve asked.

"I can't go back to the dorms. I...either they'll hurt me or I'll hurt them. I can't see them right now I just can't."

"Of course you're not going back to the dorms. You're coming to my place and you're staying as long as you need to".

"But..." I began to protest. It was strictly against the college rules to stay off campus without express permission if you were staying in a dorm. Especially if, like me, you were under eighteen. Fuck it, I thought, they broke the rules when they lied about what happened to Claire. Why should I stick to the campus curfew? "That sounds great. Thanks".

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Hope you all are liking the story so far. Please don't hesitate to comment. Constructive criticism is always welcome, compliments even more so ;).<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Eve tried talking to me on the drive to keep my mind off Claire but mostly I just stared out of the window and chewed my nails. It was a bad habit I'd been trying to break but today I just didn't care.

"Hey, Leah" Eve said softly and I realised we had come to a stop.

"Sorry" I mumbled.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, let's go inside ok?"

My feet felt like lead as we walked up the path to the Glass House. I had been here only once before. Eve, Claire and I had planned to go to see a movie the one afternoon we were all miraculously free of responsibilities at the same time. Eve had driven us from campus and invited us to wait inside while she quickly showered and changed. Eve had two roommates, well housemates really. Michael Glass, the actual owner of the house and Shane Collins, a rugged slacker who was always fast with a comeback or snarky comment and from the stories I'd heard from Eve even quicker with his fists.

Eve shut the door behind me and led me through to the sitting room. "Why don't you sit, can I get you anything? Coke? Coffee?"

"Got any beer?" I half joked.

"I don't think..." she began but then shrugged, "One beer coming right up".

As soon as she left the room I stood back up again and began pacing from one end to the other. Every time I stopped and was still I heard the crunch as Claire hit the bottom of the stairs. Saw her hooked up to machines and wires in that hospital bed. The smug look on Monica's face. Gina's hand around my friend's throat.

"She's going to be ok Leah". I jumped slightly. I hadn't noticed that Eve had come back in.

"What if she's not?" My voice was barely a whisper.

She strode over to me and placed one of the cold bottles in my hand. "She will be".

I wanted to believe Claire would be ok but I couldn't bring myself to do it. If I believed that Claire would be ok and then she wasn't my heart would break all over again. No. It was better to prepare for the worst and then be grateful if it didn't come to that.

As Eve and I took a swig of beer we heard the front door open. "Yo Eve, you home?"

"In here Shane" she called back.

In walked Shane in all his rugged, muscled glory. He might have been an annoying ass the one time I ever met him but he was still nice to look at. I immediately felt guilty that my thoughts were going there while Claire was up in the sky right now being taken to a specialist head hospital.

"Is that mine and Mike's beer?" he asked Eve.

"Special circumstances" she told him, glancing pointedly in my direction.

"What, California princess broke a nail?"

And there it was, served up to me on a silver platter. The person I could take all my anger out on.

I placed my beer bottle down and stared at him. "You might want to back the hell off dick!"

Shane laughed and rubbed his hands together. "What's got you all worked up princess?"

I took a big step towards him and my hands balled into fists at my sides. "Stop..calling..me..that!"

"What? Pr-in-ce-ss?" he drew the word out, grinned at me and then looked at Eve. "You didn't tell me your friend was such a psycho".

"Shane stop being such an asshole. Claire got thrown down the stairs today, by Gina. She's being airlifted to a head specialist hospital closer to her parents. It was really bad".

And just like that I deflated like a punctured balloon. Hearing Eve say 'it was really bad' was all it took for the guilt and sorrow to sweep away the rage. I collapsed onto the arm of the sofa and buried my face in my hands, sobbing silently.

"Hey I'm sorry, I...I didn't know...I..."Shane said.

"S'okay" I managed to say after getting my crying under control. "Sorry for, you know, going all feral on you".

He laughed. "I've had worse".

"She's going to stay with us for a little while" Eve told him, her tone defiant and daring him to contest what she'd just said.

Shane shrugged. "That's fine with me. It's Mikey you're going to have a hard time convincing".

Eve flipped open her cell and walked away as she dialled. "Back in a minute" she called over her shoulder.

Shane grabbed Eve's abandoned beer and took a long sip. "So...do they know if she's going to be ok?"

I shook my head then said "but they don't know her. They don't know how tough she is deep down. She'll pull through this. She has to".

"Was it just Gina or..."

"Monica" I spat before he could finish his sentence, "and Jennifer the little weasel!" Shane began laughing again. "What's so funny?" I demanded half heartedly.

"I haven't heard anyone call someone a weasel in years".

His laughter was infectious and while I wasn't up to giggling along like I usually would he got a small smile and a chuckle out of me.

Eve strode back in, stood in front of us and put her hands on her hips. "Well that was easier than I expected".

"What was?" I asked taking a sip of beer.

"You're staying" she grinned, "For as long as you like".


	4. Chapter 4

**JUST A QUICK NOTE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO'VE ADDED THIS STORY TO THEIR FAVOURITES AND ALERTS LISTS. AN EXTRA BIG THANKS TO VAMPLUV11 AND KAELA-1997 FOR YOUR REVIEWS. IT MEANS A LOT GIVEN THAT THIS IS MY FIRST FANFIC SO YEAH; KEEP READING AND I'LL TRY TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING. MUCH LOVE XO**

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><p>Eve showed me the room that was to be mine for the foreseeable future while Shane got started on dinner. As we walked along the upstairs corridor Eve pointed out her room, Michael's room, Shane's room and the bathroom. Mine was at the end of the hall and when she opened the door I drew in a sharp breath. It was much bigger than I had anticipated and the furniture, all made from the same dark wood, was nothing short of gorgeous. The reason for the sharp breath was that it wasn't unlike my room back home.<p>

Back in California I lived with my dad, had never known my mom, had never even seen a picture of her. Dad didn't like to talk about her, didn't really like to talk to me about anything. He was the one who'd pushed me to graduate a year early and naively I'd thought that was because he was finally taking an interest in me but as it turned out it was just so he could send me to a college in the middle of nowhere, thousands of miles away from him.

"We'll go and get your things tomorrow and you can borrow some of my things until then ok?" Eve asked from the doorway.

"This is great I can't even..." a swell of gratitude and emotion literally took my breath away for a brief second. "I can't even tell you how grateful I am".

Eve just shrugged and smiled. "What are friends for?"

"That smells great" I said of the delicious food smells wafting towards us as we went back downstairs.

"Shane's chilli, it's the only thing he knows how to cook so it's a good thing he can cook it well".

"I heard that" Shane shouted from the kitchen.

"Who says you weren't supposed to?"

"Bite me" he retorted.

"I won't but my boyfriend will" Eve called back and then she froze. There were no noises coming from the kitchen. What had just happened?

"I've never understood that whole biting for pleasure thing" I said to Eve to break whatever weird tension-filled moment was going on.

"Yeah no it was just a joke, he doesn't really...well yeah just a joke. A bad one".

The front door opened then and in walked Michael glass, looking more like a fallen angel than ever. The first time I'd seen him I'd thought 'he's pretty cute', now I was thinking 'Damn he's hot'. Eve skipped down the last few steps and planted a kiss on Michael's lips. Rather than feeling jealous I was glad for Eve. A lot of the people on campus gave her a hard time for being a Goth, for being different and not being afraid to speak her mind. It was nice to see she'd found someone, a hot someone, who would accept her for who she was. And who would fill all of her female enemies with a burning envy.

"So this is the biting boyfriend"? I asked. A second after the words were out of my mouth I thought 'maybe if I say that it will start off weird tension again'. This had happened often to me during my life. Thinking about the consequences of words _after_ they left my mouth.

"What?" Michael asked, looking from me to Eve and back again with a look of shock on his face.

"It was just a joke, Shane said bite me and I said my boyfriend would and..." Eve was floundering, trying to find the right words to say.

"Sorry" I said to Michael who turned his devastatingly beautiful blue eyes on me. "The nurses say I was born with my foot in my mouth".

Michael said nothing for a minute and I thought 'great, my first night here and I've already annoyed him' but then he laughed. "Looks like you'll fit in well around here".

"MIKEY, THAT YOU?" Shane yelled from the kitchen.

"YEAH MAN" Michael yelled back and Eve smacked him playfully in the chest.

"I do want to keep my hearing intact for at least the next ten years if you don't mind".

He kissed the jet black hair on the top of her head. "Sorry sweetheart".

"DINNER! COME AND GET IT BEFORE IT'S GONE".

"Does he have an inside voice?" Eve mock huffed as the three of us made our way into the kitchen.

Eve gathered plates and cutlery, Shane grabbed the pot of Chilli and Michael grabbed the rice, chips and cheese. "Do you want me to...?" I began but Shane cut me off.

"Could you grab some Cokes from the fridge?"

"Sure" I replied as they all filed into the living room.

I grabbed four cans of Coke and was just shutting the door when something caught my eye. I didn't know why it had caught my eye, it was just a plain sports bottle but...I slammed the fridge door with my foot and shook my head. I was just over tired and over emotional today. I needed food and rest, not to be wondering what a perfectly normal looking sports bottle was doing in a perfectly normal fridge.

Dinner tasted fantastic and I polished off two heaped plates before leaning back and surrendering. "Do you guys want me to do the dishes?"

"You wash and I'll dry" Michael offered, "But we need to go over some things first if you're going to be staying here".

I sat up straight. I hated rules and restrictions, had done from a very young age, but I couldn't stand staying in the dorm. Not without Claire. I swallowed. "Okay".

"First is rent, its $150 a month, now if you can't..."

"That'll be fine, my dad's paying" I interrupted. My dad owned his own car dealerships and string of garages in the northern states. $150 wouldn't be a problem. The only problem he might have was with me living off campus but I couldn't really see it. So long as we didn't have to have any sort of conversation about it he more than likely wouldn't care.

"You don't go out alone after dark".

I barked a laugh but then realised he wasn't joking. Eve and Shane too looked deadly serious. "Erm...why?"

"Sometimes there's trouble" Eve replied.

I wanted to tell them that no way I going to be sticking to that ridiculous rule but the reality was that if I didn't follow the rules, or at least say that I was going to, then I would be back in the dorms so I just shrugged. "Fine, I can live with that". In my head I was saying 'No frickin' way am I going to live with that'.

After going over a few 'normal' house rules like cleaning up after myself, taking turns with the chores and getting groceries etc Michael and I washed the dishes in a comfortable silence. I started singing quietly to myself and Michael joined in. Our voices harmonised perfectly but when we'd finished the song I blushed with embarrassment. I didn't usually sing in front of people. Sure I liked to sing but I didn't think of myself as a good singer, just a keen one.

"Well that was embarrassing" I tried to laugh it off.

"Why? You've got a great voice" Michael said as he passed me the last dish to dry.

"Thanks but you don't have to lie".

"I'm not".

I had to admit that he didn't sound like he was lying or poking fun at me.

"Oh well, thanks then I guess". I had previously noticed the slight ridges in his fingertips that guitar players got when they played a lot. "So you sing and play guitar huh?"

"How did you know I play guitar?"

"Your fingers. My friend back home played guitar and he had the same ridges".

"Has anyone ever told you you're freakily observant?" he teased as I passed him the now dry plate to put away.

"It's a gift" I said in a sing song voice. As I left I heard him chuckling quietly to himself.

Eve leant me a tight red vest top with a black crystallised skull and black silk short shorts for pyjamas.

"Seriously? Couldn't just go with an oversized tee and normal pants?" I asked, eyebrows raised. It wasn't like I was a prude or anything but when it came to nightwear comfort was key, not how cute it looked and I did have to admit that this ensemble, tres cute.

"Honey they are the most normal pyjamas I own. Count yourself lucky, you nearly got stuck with a negligee".

I went to take a shower then used the hairdryer I'd borrowed from Eve to blow my hair dry. By the time I was done it was only eight o'clock but I felt exhausted and was contemplating just crawling into bed when my cell rang.

I dove across the room to where it was on the bedside table and when I saw the number guilt and sadness coursed through me. It was Claire's mom.

"Hi Mrs Danvers. How's she doing?"

Claire's mom cleared her throat on the other end of the line. "Not too good Leah, she still hasn't woken up yet and...I'm sorry to tell you this over the phone but they're not sure if she ever will".

I was immediately glad that I'd prepared for the worst because now the news didn't crush me. It just made it a little hard to breathe. "She's tough Mrs Danvers and she's smart as anything, if anyone can pull through this then it'd be Claire".

"Thank you sweetheart. I'd better go now. I'll call you if there are any developments".

"Take care of yourself Mrs Danvers".

"You too Leah".

I sat on the edge of my bed, my now silent cell phone clutched in my hands and though I wasn't a particularly religious person I felt the need to say a prayer. It wasn't like there was anything else I could do.

'God' I whispered, 'If you really do exist then please help Claire. She's one of the kindest, most honest people I've ever met in my life and she doesn't deserve this. I know you must get sick of people only turning to you in times of trouble but please if you're really and you're out there and you can hear this then please make Claire better. Amen'.

I was lying in bed and had been for a while, trying in vain to drift off when my stomach cramped painfully.

"I really do not need it to be my time of the month right now" I muttered despite the fact that the pain was all too familiar. I got it once every month. I knew I didn't have any tampons in my purse and a quick check of the bathroom wasn't all that helpful either. There was an empty tampon box in the medicine cabinet with a note from Eve stuck on it.

It read; 'Guys, it won't kill you to buy some of these when you go to get groceries'.

The house was quiet and I didn't want to wake Eve because I was pretty sure the empty box and the snarky note meant she didn't have any tampons. I checked the time on my phone when I got back to my room. It was only half past ten and I knew there was a twenty four hour store not far from the college. Sure there was the rule about not going out after dark but this was an emergency that I wasn't willing to discuss with a guy I barely know.

Mind made up I put my jean shorts and blue silk vest top back on, slipped my phone in my pocket and grabbed my purse. As I descended the stairs my ears strained and my heart thumped.

'You're going out to buy tampons not escaping Guantanamo' I mentally scolded myself. Thankfully there was no-one downstairs and I breathed a sigh of relief as I reached to pull back the deadbolt. As an afterthought I pulled a pad of paper and a pen from my bag and scrawled a quick note. I figured if they knew it was an emergency they wouldn't be too hard on me for breaking the golden rule on my first night.

I wrote 'Just running to the store. It's an emergency and didn't want to wake any of you. Won't be long, Leah'.

As I stepped out into the dark night, shut the door as quietly as possible behind me and set off for the store I was completely unaware of the pair of eyes watching my every move from the shadows across the street.

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><p><strong>Authors Note: Sorry if this chapter was a bit boring, I plan for the pace to pick up majorly in the next chapter with Leah finding out that Morganville is rife with vampires but no spoilers on <em>how<em> she's going to find out. You'll just have to read the next chapter kids ;) xo **


	5. Chapter 5

I had my headphones in and the volume was turned up full as always, blocking out any and all sound around me but there wasn't much chance of sound tonight. I was about halfway to the store and hadn't seen one single car or pedestrian which I thought was pretty strange. Not as strange, however, as the prickling feeling at the back of my neck, the feeling you get when you think someone's staring at you.

I pulled out my headphones and kept walking, straining my ears but heard nothing except the low music escaping my headphones into the night. Usually that would have satisfied me, the fact that I could hear nothing, and I would have shook my head and laughed it off and carried on without a care in the world but that prickling feeling hadn't gone, if anything it had intensified. I took two deep breaths and whipped my head around to look over my shoulder. There was no-one there that I could see but it was night and a lot of the streetlamps weren't working; plenty of shadows to hide in.

I turned and carried on walking, trying to dismiss my fear for paranoia based on the 'not going out after dark' rule but I didn't put my headphones back in, instead I turned off my iPod and put it in my bag. My heart was beating a jig in my chest and I was breathing slowly, trying to bring it back to normal and that was when I heard it, soft footfalls. And they were right behind me.

I froze. The footsteps stopped. Silence. I began walking again and surely enough the footsteps began. I whirled my whole body around, hands balled into fists but there was no-one there. Was it possible I'd somehow been mistaking my own footfalls for that of someone behind me? I wanted to feel ridiculous, to feel that I was making a whole big something out of nothing but I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I was just making my mind up to go back to the house, throw the note in the bin and wake Eve to either ask her if she had what I needed or to run me to the store when a smooth male voice said from behind me "Good evening".

I span around to face whoever it was. I would have screamed had the breath not caught in my throat. In front of me was a guy about my height and about my age with dark brown hair, pale skin, dark eyes and dressed all in black. "Were you following me?" I finally managed to gasp.

The stranger smiled but it wasn't at all pleasant. It reminded me of the way a cat would look at a mouse just before delivering the final blow. "Yes" he replied.

My eyebrows rose and I was again filled with anger. "Why?"

He cocked his head to the side. "Why not?"

"Because it's creepy and...and not polite". 'Not polite?' I asked myself incredulously. Why the hell did I add that on?

He pointed at my wrist. "I see you're not wearing a bracelet".

Okay, I thought, that was even stranger than my tacking on 'not polite'. "Good observation" I snapped. "As nice as it's been talking to you I'd better get going, people are expecting me".

He looked at the ground and then up at me, again with the predatory grin. "Did you know that when humans lie their heart rate accelerates?"

How did he know I was lying? There was no way he could hear my heart beating, it just wasn't possible. But he had known I was lying, and it was true that my heart was hammering relentlessly against my ribs.

"I...I'm not lying" I stammered.

He took a step towards me and when I tried to step back his hand shot out, fast as a cobra, and grabbed my arm in a vice like grip. The fear and rage flared red and hot inside me and I punched him as hard as I could in the jaw. His head snapped back but his grip on my arm didn't break. I opened my mouth to scream, although I doubted I was going to catch anyone's attention. There was no-one around whose attention I _could_ catch. It turned out it didn't matter either way because he snarled and threw me backwards into a brick wall knocking the breath out of me. I slid to the ground, stars of pain bursting in front of my eyes. Something warm and wet dripped down my neck and shoulder and I knew I'd cracked my head.

As my sight cleared I saw the stranger standing above me and a blood curdling scream ripped free from my throat because his face had morphed. His eyes were red and his teeth, he had fangs. I wanted to put it down to the knock to head causing me to imagine this sight before me but I couldn't, somehow in my heart I knew what I was seeing was real. And I knew what he was. There was no stage of denial. As unbelievable as it may have seemed the guy standing in front of me, who had been following me, who I was all too aware that I was bleeding in front of, was a vampire.

I pushed myself to my feet and held my hands out in front of me in defence, although I doubted it would do any good given the way he had thrown me like a rag doll.

"You're stronger than you look" he laughed, "It's been a long time since a human hit me and it actually hurt". He pinned me against the wall with his hands on my shoulders and bent his head.

'This is it' I thought, 'He's going to kill me. Why did I not just listen to Michael and not go out on my own. Well this is what I get I guess'.

But he didn't bite as I'd been expecting. Instead he slowly licked the blood, starting at my shoulder and ending at my hairline on the back of my neck. I could safely say this was the most grotesque thing that had ever happened to me.

"You don't taste like anything I've ever drank before".

"Go to hell" I spat and brought my knee up, feeling a grim satisfaction when it connected with his crotch. He doubled over and I ran. I was wobbly on my feet due to the loss of blood and I didn't notice the limousine until it had pulled over next to me.

The back door opened and a regal looking woman emerged. "Can I offer you a ride?" she asked, her voice as dignified as she looked.

"Yes please" I replied, "But there's a guy and he's..."

As though merely talking about him had summoned him he was there by my side. I emitted a little squeak of a scream but he wasn't looking at me, his eyes were fixed on the woman from the limousine.

"Amelie she..." The vampire began but she lifted her hand and he fell silent.

"She is off limits Brandon".

"Wait you know him?" I asked and then it clicked. Their skin had the same pallor, their eyes the same ever so slightly silver sheen. I should have run but I trusted this woman. I hadn't spoken more than a few words to her, none of them of any real substance, but I trusted her inexplicably.

"She wears no bracelet Founder".

"Are you questioning me?" Amelie or Founder as Brandon had addressed her for some stranger reason, asked. Her voice was calm and low but there was no mistaking the undercurrent of threat. I was in no doubt that she could tear this Brandon guy apart without messing up her manicure.

Brandon bowed his head. "Of course not Founder, just perhaps she ought to wear a symbol of your protection so my mistake is not repeated by others".

"I will do as I see fit. Now leave".

And he did, but not before shooting me a dirty look.

"You're a vampire too". I didn't pose it as a question.

She nodded once. "Please, allow me to take you home. It seems we have much to discuss".

"I was actually headed to the store". Although for some unknown reason I trusted her I was hesitant to be stuck inside the limousine with her.

Her lips twitched as though she wanted to smile but was holding it back. "My driver is perfectly capable of taking you there first".

I saw no way out of it and besides she had kind of saved me from Brendan so the least I could do was accept her offer of a ride.

Once inside the limousine she told the driver to first go to the store and then to the Glass house.

"How do you know where I'm staying?" I asked once the divider between us and the driver had slid back up into place.

"Michael had to ask my permission to allow you to live off campus and with himself, Miss Rosser and Mr Collins. She must have registered the confused look on my face because next she said "Perhaps I should start from the beginning".

"That's usually a good place to start". I couldn't believe despite everything that I was still making jokes, or at least trying to.

"My name is Amelie as you may have gathered. As you have also gathered I am a vampire. So is Brandon and so are a lot of the residents of Morganville, not that you as a college student would have known it. The students at the college who are not Morganville natives are not permitted to know of our existence. That is why we insist they live on campus. That is why there is a strict curfew".

"So why did you allow me to move off of campus?"

"I felt that yours were exceptional circumstances. I am a vampire Miss Cordell, that does not mean I don't feel. I am sorry for what happened to your friend. Monica Morrell has been a thorn in my side on many occasions but her father is the mayor and it is vital that I remain on good terms with him. Did you hear Brandon call me Founder?" I nodded. "Well I am the Founder of Morganville. I set this town up to prove that vampires and humans could co-exist in harmony. Most of the time I am proved right".

"I'd hardly call what happened between Brandon and I tonight harmonious" I sniped.

"While it is regrettable I am surprised Michael didn't explain to you that it was not safe for someone unprotected such as yourself to be out alone at night".

"He did explain it. There was...an emergency. A womanly emergency, one that happens once every month if you get my meaning".

Again her lips twitched as though she were holding back a smile. Something had been niggling at me since the fist moment I saw her and know I kind of knew what it was. She looked familiar, I couldn't place why or who she reminded me of but there was just something about her.

"Yes I understand, still you should not venture out alone after dark anymore. Do I make myself understood?"

There it was again, someone telling me what to do and I hated that but I couldn't deny that she was right. "Could I not go home? Like back to California?"

"You could. Your memories would be erased, you would remember nothing of us and if by some chance you did start to remember well...either you would have to return or we would have to take somewhat drastic measures to ensure your silence. However I would very much like it if you would consider staying. I would give you my protection of course".

I realised the limo had come to a stop outside the store but I wanted to know what the meant before getting out and buying what I needed. "And what would that mean exactly, you protection?"

"It would mean that no other vampire could harm you. If they did they would have to answer to me and believe me that would not be a pleasant experience for them. I don't much like being defied. You would have to wear a bracelet with my seal on to identify yourself as under my protection".

"I need to think about this. It's a lot to take in".

She nodded. "By all means take as much time as you need. My bodyguard will accompany you while you buy what you need".

The bodyguard never let me out of his sight and I was glad that the store was all but deserted otherwise I would have been feeling majorly embarrassed. I was already embarrassed about buying tampons with a guy, I assumed a vampire, hovering just behind my shoulder the whole time.

When I got back in the vehicle I said to Amelie "I have an answer for you". She didn't say anything; she just gave me a look that said 'go on'. "I'm going to stay here. My father doesn't want me in California and in a weird way I feel like I owe it to Claire to stick this out. About your protection, what about my housemates? Would they be able to get your protection also or are they already protected? I don't think I've seen them wearing bracelets".

"Your housemates being...?" She left the question open.

"You know who my housemates are. Eve, Michael and Shane".

"I would be happy to extend the offer of my protection to Eve and Shane".

"Why not Michael?"

She paused for a second before answering. "You may be better asking him".

"Maybe I would but I'm asking you".

She shook her head lightly and then looked directly into my eyes as she said "Michael Glass is a vampire".

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><p><strong>Authors Note: Sorry if this chapter seemed a little slow. I re-wrote it a couple of times and this was the version I settled on. Didn't want to make things too exciting or reveal too much just yet. Why does Amelie seem familiar to Leah? Why did Leah's blood taste different to Brandon? And how will Leah react to Michael being a vampire? All will be revealed if you stick with the story. Much love xo <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**So sorry this chapter has taken ridiculously long. My computer broke and then my internet box broke had to wait for another one...blahblahblah anyway finally getting back to a regular pattern of writing and uploading. Thanks to those still reading at this point. I'll try not to bore or disappoint. Much love xo**

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><p>Amelie and I didn't exchange any more words as we made our way back to the Glass House. I did remember to thank her when I got out of the limousine<p>

though and there were two big reasons for this. One was that it was just good manners. The second being she was a vampire, apparently in charge of all

the vampires in this town, and she scared the crap out of me.

"Thank you. For the ride and for...you know with that Brandon guy".

The tiniest of smiles lifted the corners of her lips. "You're welcome. Remember now; don't go out after dark alone".

I smiled back at her. "I won't, I promise".

I thought I was going to hyperventilate as I opened the front door, stepped into the hallway and shut it again behind me as quietly as I could. I might as

well have slammed it though because as soon as it clicked shut Eve came barrelling out of the living room to face me.

"Where the hell have you been?"

I jiggled the plastic bag in my hand. "I had to go to the store".

"Did you not hear us when we said you weren't to go out on your own after dark?" Michael stood by his girlfriends side. All I needed now was Shane to

make the set complete.

As if my thought had been his cue Shane came slowly down the stairs. I could tell from the set of his shoulders and the ticking muscle in his jaw that he

was mad. "You made it back then?" he asked me, his voice loaded with ice.

Just a few minutes before I had been ready to admit that I had been wrong and that I should have listened to them but now that they were all ganging up

on me I felt my temper flare. "Any particular reason I shouldn't go out alone after dark?" I didn't direct the question to any of them in particular, just waited

to see who would be the first to lie to me.

"We told you" Eve said, "Sometimes bad things happen".

"Bad things like what huh?" Come on, I thought, let me catch you all in a lie and knock you off your high horses.

Eve shrugged. "Nothing in particular" she said in a monotone.

"So nothing out there that goes bump in the night? Literally?"

"What?" Shane spluttered.

"She knows" Michael said, his voice flat.

At the same time Michael spoke Eve asked "Is that blood on your shirt?"

Amelie had suggested that I go to the hospital and get my head checked out but I wasn't at all keen to. I'd been spending too much time in hospitals lately.

She soon realised she wasn't going to convince me it was for the best and insisted on inspecting every inch of my head before sighing softly and letting me

off the hook about the whole going-to-hospital thing.

"I had a run in with one of your kind" I said to Michael, more venom in my voice than necessary.

"You were bitten?" Eve gasped, her hands flying to her mouth but I shook my head.

"No, he threw me into a brick wall and I cracked my head".

The three of them insisted I sit with them in the living room and tell them everything I had learned and been through that night but before I could sit down

Michael called me into the kitchen. I was wary of course having just found out that he was a vampire but he'd known me for a while now and had never

tried to hurt me. Had never tried to hurt anyone from what I had seen of him.

"How are you doing?" he asked and I knew he didn't mean my head.

"It's sent my mind into a bit of a spin to be honest. I mean vampires? I've grown up reading books and watching movies about them but did I ever for a

second imagine they were real?" I shook my head. "And my very first experience with one wasn't exactly great you know?"

"I was your first vampire acquaintance" he reminded me with a smile, "Not whoever attacked you tonight. And we get on alright don't we?"

I sighed. "Yeah, yeah you're right".

He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently.

I started from when I had thought I was being followed, turned and saw no-one, then turned back and he had been in front of me. When I told the part

about my punching him Michael's eyebrows rose but no-one said a word. When they learned how he had tossed me into the brick wall then licked my blood

Shane had gripped the arms of his chair so hard that his knuckles went white. When I mentioned that I'd kneed him in the groin Eve grinned.

"So I ran and then this limo pulled up in front of me and some vampire called Amelie sent him packing, gave me a lift to the store, checked my head was ok

then brought me home".

"Amelie?" Shane asked, surprise clear on his face and in his tone. "Our cold-as-ice hard-as-stone founder saved a human?"

I shrugged. "She was nice".

"Nice" Shane scoffed.

"If it wasn't for her I'd be lying dead somewhere so yeah, I think she's nice" I snapped.

"You said Brandon told you that when you punched him it hurt?" Michael asked.

Again I shrugged. "Yeah".

"That's very strange" Michael mused, "Not many humans have the ability to hurt a vampire with their hands, especially one as old as Brandon. Besides no

offence Leah but you're hardly a prize winning contender".

"What's that supposed to me?" I asked, indignant.

"You're a scrawny midget" Shane supplied.

"Would you show me?" Michael asked.

"That I'm a scrawny midget?"

Michael laughed. "No, punch me".

My jaw dropped. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Humour me".

I blew out a breath and stood, knowing I wouldn't be able to give it my all. I was exhausted and my head was pounding. I needed to take some painkillers

and crawl under the covers, not fight my second vampire of the night.

Michael stood casually, hands slack by his sides. "Just do your best. I don't expect much" he grinned.

I took my position. Right foot behind left, knees slightly bent, fists raised and right shoulder dropped. "Are you trying to provoke me?"

"Whatever works princess" he sneered.

I knew he only called me princess to get a reaction out of me but it worked. In one sharp movement I threw my right fist into his jaw, shifting my body and

following through for maximum impact. I hadn't expected too much from the punch either, I could tell as I threw it that it wasn't one of my best so I was

surprised when Michael stumbled backwards and fell over a low table.

"Are you ok?" I asked, offering him my hand to pull him to his feet but he pushed it aside and jumped gracefully to his feet.

"Again" he snarled. He took a proper stance this time, planting his feet and concentrating on my movements.

"Michael come on she's exhausted..." Eve began.

"It's ok" I replied. "Looks like someone's nursing a bruised ego huh?" I taunted Michael. "Well how do you think I fell after being lied to?" I threw a right

hook and a left and finished it off with a high kick smack bang in the middle of his chest. Rather than just stumbling over this time he fell straight

backwards. He was up in a mere second due to his vampire speed but I felt a grim satisfaction. I was hurt that they'd all lied to me, more hurt than I'd first

realised if my sudden burst of violence was anything to go on.

Michael's eyes had taken on a red sheen and I worried that I had gone too far but he blinked and they were back to normal. He smiled at me but he looked

confused. "That was good" he told me, "You'll need all of that fight you can muster in this town".

I yawned and said goodnight to them all, then dragged myself up the stairs, completely forgetting that I had wanted painkillers until I was under the

covers. I didn't have the energy or the will to go back downstairs so decided I'd just take the risk of having jackhammers echoing in my head all the next

day. My eyelids were drooping when someone knocked on my door.

"Come on" I yawned.

Shane came in, silhouetted by the light from the hallway. He was holding a glass of water and a little white pill bottle. "Thought you might want some

painkillers" he grumbled, setting them down on my bedside table and turning to leave.

"Wait" I called after him. He stopped walking but didn't turn to look at me. "Are you mad at me?"

He snorted a laugh. "Yes Leah I'm mad at you. We told you it wasn't safe to go out after dark and you just went right ahead and did it. You could have been

killed you do realise that right?"

"I realised it when that vampire Brandon was licking my blood off my neck yes". I'd meant to snap at him but I was so tired it sounded more like a sad little

whisper.

Shane looked at me over his shoulder then and his face softened. "Despite that impressive little show with Mikey downstairs you're no match for a vampire

Leah. No human is. They run this town and we're grateful to live another day. You'd do well to remember that".

"Sorry I didn't listen to you guys" I whispered as he stepped out into the hallway.

"Sorry we lied" he said simply. I think I was asleep before he managed to close the door behind him.

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><p><strong>Hope this chapter was ok, the writing cogs are a little rusty after my forced sabattical. So Leah managed to pretty much kick Michael's butt but...you're just going to have to wait to find out how a 'scrawny midget' got the drop on a vamp. Reviews much appreciated but not necassary. <strong>


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